City announces seasonal area closures to protect nesting golden eagles

Seasonal wildlife closures begin today in Lefthand Palisades, Flagstaff Mountain and Skunk Canyon through July 31, 2026, to protect nesting golden eagles on cliff formations along the Boulder Flatirons. These annual closures help safeguard critical habitat during breeding season.

Golden eagles are protected under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and are designated as a species of greatest conservation need in Colorado's State Wildlife Action Plan. The Flatirons are considered one of the premier raptor nesting areas in the western United States, and disturbance during this sensitive period can disrupt the birds' ability to establish nests and lay eggs.

Each year, staff and volunteers monitor raptors to understand how local nesting populations are doing and to guide how we protect them. Monitoring helps ensure that our seasonal wildlife closures are based on current nesting activity, allowing staff to lift closures early when nesting doesn't occur and helping both raptors and visitors coexist successfully. Last year, monitoring efforts documented two successfully fledged golden eagle nestlings, a promising sign for the local population.

Community members, particularly area climbers, are encouraged to view the OSMP Seasonal Closure webmapfor the most current information throughout the season.